


Elysium for the Brave

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: In This Waking Life [4]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU version of The Reichenbach Fall, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), M/M, Mind Manipulation, Stephen gets hit by dubious magic once again, Suicide Attempt, Tony to the rescue, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 21:24:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16437056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: Stephen had no right to cry, had given that up the moment he'd fallen prey to the entity that was now threatening everything he held dear. He had been stupid and now he and the ones he loved had to pay the price for his arrogance and carelessness.The Reichenbach Fall, Ironstrange version.





	Elysium for the Brave

**Author's Note:**

> People want me to make Stephen suffer so they send me prompts like this:  
>  _(As both a Sherlock dork and an Ironstrange trashmouse, here’s this angst!) A Reichenbach Fall inspired fic where Stephen jumps off a building to save Tony, Wong and Peter. And because I don’t completely hate fluff, how about a nice ending where Tony rushes in with his Iron Man suit to save Stephen. (Because I don’t want everyone to hate me completely...just a little bit)_
> 
> I like Sherlock and I love the RDJ movies. So this is a wild mix-and-match between _The Reichenbach Fall_ and the fall from _A Game of Shadows_. It's only fitting, don't you think? So, lets have a little bit of drama and angst, followed by lots of tears and even more hugging. You know... the usual stuff. Comments and Kudos are, as always, adored and make my day.

_Do it_ , the voice inside his head whispered. Low and seductive. _You know what'll happen if you don't. Do you really want to see them die by your hand? Isn't it better to die yourself?_

Stephen swallowed and tried to fight down the nausea the words had caused. "I don't want to die," he said to himself and the voice. But what was the alternative? Watching himself become the monster that would try and ultimately succeed in killing his family?

_Steeeeeeeephen, you know it's the right thing to do._

He looked down on the bright gold and silver bracelet on his right wrist. Tony's version of an engagement ring, since Stephen's hands were too damaged and broken for a real ring. If they would have gotten married he would have gotten another bracelet for his left wrist. Tony loved to joke about what he could and would do with them - and Stephen - on their wedding night. _If…_

Tears threatened and Stephen fought them down. He had no right to cry, had given that up the moment he'd fallen prey to the entity that was now threatening everything he held dear. He had been stupid and now he and the ones he loved had to pay the price for his arrogance and carelessness.

His hands were shaking even more than usual as the took out his phone. He fumbled with it but this was too important for voice recognition. After a few tries he managed to hit the right short-cut.

"Hey, Stephen!" He closed his eyes and let Tony's voice wash over him. "What's going on? I thought you were busy. I mean I'm happy that you called, of course, but you said…"  


He looked down at the ground, so far below, and swallowed once again in the hope to find his voice. The Cloak fluttered around him, clearly agitated and at least suspecting what he was about to do. He shushed it with an impatient gesture and a silent spell that caused it to leave his shoulders and made it impossible for it to get a hold of him again. _I'm sorry._ He looked at it to show his regret. It nodded mournfully. "T…," he cleared his throat and tried again. "Tony." He hoped that his voice conveyed all the warmth and love he felt at this moment. "I just wanted to..."

 _Do what?_ , the voice asked. _Say goodbye? Let him hear you stumble through a few meaningless words, leaving him confused and scared until he gets the news from FRIDAY? Your death is going to break him. You know that, I know that, everybody knows it. This call changes nothing._

 _But he will be alive_ , Stephen countered. _Peter and Pepper will pick up the pieces and Wong will be there for him, too. And Rhodey, of course. He's got the support system he'll need._

_But he won't have **you**. He'll just have the memory of your bloody and broken body on the asphalt before the Sanctum. Hey, maybe you won't die immediately. I hear that humans can be pretty hard to kill. Maybe he can watch you die little by little in a hospital room. Wouldn't that be fun, too?_

Despite his best efforts the tears began to fall but somehow Stephen managed to keep his voice steady. "… to tell you that I love you," he finished the sentence with just a second's hesitation. He pressed the phone closer to his ear, as if he could close the distance between them through the gesture. "I won't be home this evening" _or ever again_ "and I just wanted to…"

 _Enough of this. Fun as it is to listen to you trying to say everything while saying nothing - playtime's over. Do it now or I'll turn you around, march you over to the tower and make you snap his neck._ The seductive voice suddenly got cold and merciless. _Time to die, sorcerer._

"I'm sorry," Stephen murmured. "I have to go now. Never forget that I love you." He carefully put the phone, where he'd recorded a short video message for Tony, and another for Wong and Peter, down. After a last, long look down at the contact photo of a smiling and happy Tony he took a deep breath and forced himself to step on the ledge of the Sanctum.

"Try to forgive me and don't mourn me for too long. I don't deserve it."

After another deep breath he closed his eyes, touched the bracelet and called the happiest memory he had to the forefront of his mind.

Then he took the last step into nothingness.

Stephen's body fell, but his mind was back on a starlit balcony, reliving the moment where Tony put the bracelet around his wrist and asked him to become his husband.

*

The voice died down and vanished into nothingness; the curse on the book he'd touched by accident had done its job perfectly. One less sorcerer on the planet.

*

He'd retreated so far into himself that at first he thought he'd hit the ground while still being conscious. But there was no pain, just the wind in his ears and strong metal around his waist. Barely a second later Stephen was back on the roof of the Sanctum, held tight in Iron Man's arms.

He still couldn't breathe properly and his hands weren't the only thing shaking. "Tony," he whispered and if on command the faceplate retreated to show him his beloved's face. After a moment the rest for the armor was gone, too, and he was grabbed in an hug that was almost as tight as Iron Man's had been. Stephen relaxed immediately and let himself held up by Tony and the Cloak which had reattached itself to him the moment he'd been set down. He hid his head in Tony's neck and grabbed onto on edge of the Cloak to stroke it soothingly. It caressed him back, while Tony was busy running his hands over every inch of his body he could reach.

"Stephen, baby, are you okay? Never scare me like that again. I swear…"

Stephen just held on a little bit tighter as Tony guided them both down to sit on the cold stone of the rooftop terrace. He was still shaking, thanks to adrenaline, the last remains of fear and the incredible relief that his gamble had paid off. "Tony," he whispered over and over again, unable to form another word. Falling down without the safety of the Cloak around his shoulders had been as bad as crashing into the water all those years ago and the memories threatened to drown him all over again.

"Shhh." Tony just held on, trying to keep his own panic at bay to concentrate on Stephen instead. "I'm here, I've got you." They both where crying.

Stephen could feel Tony's heart beating way to fast and heard his panicked breathing and forced himself to relax. "I'm here," he finally said, more to himself than Tony. "I'm alive and safe."

"Yes, you are. Thank god." Tony kissed his hair, the only part of Stephen he could reach. "You're an idiot, Stephen, but a brilliant one. Your video almost gave me a heart attack."

Stephen looked up, showing all the love and trust he felt. "Sorry about that. But I knew you would save me." He hadn't known, only hoped that Tony would get his message, listen to it and react accordingly and all that in the short time available. The biggest problem had been his trembling fingers; it had been almost impossible to hit the right icon to send the pre-recorded video-message that was meant to explain everything after his death. And all that while keeping his mind clear of his plan and just focusing on his fear and despair to not make the voice suspicious.

"Of course. Always. But don't do anything like that ever again."

"I don't plan of stepping off any buildings ever again, I can assure you of that." The shock was slowly fading but he was still shaking and Tony was absently stroking his back.

"Good," Tony said but Stephen could hear that he was distracted. Curious, he looked up. Tony looked back and gently wiped the tears from his face. "I won't survive without you, you know." He kissed Stephen on the lips and held on tighter.

Stephen swallowed and nodded. He knew, despite everything he'd told himself and the spell only a few minutes ago. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you did what you had to do." Tony smiled sadly. "Just like me." He picked up Stephen's right hand and began to play with the bracelet, a habit that had started the moment he'd put it on Stephen. "Let's do it. Tomorrow. We've waited long enough." His fingers slipped under the metal and gripped Stephen's wrist tightly. "You're mine and I'm not letting you go."

Stephen looked down at their hands and let the feeling of love and protectiveness wash over him. His wrist protested a little bit against the tight grip but the cherished the pain. It told him that he was still alive. "Okay." He looked up just in time to see Tony's beautiful smile. "Let's get married tomorrow. But can I have my wedding night tonight?"

Tony's smile became a predatory grin as he helped Stephen up. "You can have it right now."

**Author's Note:**

> [Original post.](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com/post/179172809016/as-both-a-sherlock-dork-and-an-ironstrange/)  
>  (My inbox is always open but it will probably take a few weeks for your prompt to get a fill. But hit me, if you have an idea you want me to write - I'm always honored that someone thinks about me when having plotbunnies, even if I can't quite understand why.)


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